His service and his counsel.

Q.Kath. To betray me.

[Aside.

My lords, I thank you both for your good wills,
Ye speak like honest men, (pray God, ye prove so!)
But how to make you suddenly an answer,

In such a point of weight, so near mine honour,
(More near my life, I fear,) with my weak wit,
And to such men of gravity and learning,
In truth, I know not. I was set at work
Among my maids; full little, God knows, looking
Either for such men, or such business.

For her sake that I have been, (for I feel
The last fit of my greatness,) good your graces,
Let me have time, and counsel, for my cause;
Alas! I am a woman, friendless, hopeless.

Wol.Madam,you wrong the king's love with these fears; Your hopes and friends are infinite.

Q.Kath. In England,

But little for my profit: Can you think, lords,
That any Englishman dare give me counsel ?

Or be a known friend, 'gainst his highness' pleasure,
(Though he be grown so desperate to be honest,) 3
And live a subject? Nay, forsooth, my friends,
They that must weigh out my afflictions,
They that my trust grow to, live not here;
They are, as all my other comforts, far hence,
In mine own country, lords.

Cam. I would, your grace

Would leave your griefs, and take my counsel.
Q.Kath. How, sir?

Cam. Put your main cause into the king's protection;

He's loving, and most gracious; 'twill be much

Both for your honour better, and your cause;

For, if the trial of the law o'ertake you,

You'll part away disgrac'd.

Wol. He tells you rightly.

Q.Kath. Ye tell me what ye wish for both, my ruin : Is this your christian counsel ? out upon ye!

Heaven is above all yet; there sits a Judge,

That no king can corrupt.

Cam. Your rage mistakes us.

[3] Do you think that any Englishman dare advise me; or, if any man should venture to advise with honesty, that he could live? JOHNS.

[4] To weigh out is the same as to outweigh. In Macbeth, Shakspeare has overcome for come over. STEEV.

Q. Kath. The more shame for ye, holy men I thought you,

Upon my soul, two reverend cardinal virtues ;

But cardinal sins, and hollow hearts, I fear ye :

Mend them for shame, my lords. Is this your comført? The cordial that ye bring a wretched lady?

A woman lost among ye, laugh'd at, scorn'd ?

I will not wish ye half my miseries,

I have more charity: But say, I warn'd ye;

Take heed, for heaven's sake, take heed, lest at on ce The burden of my sorrows fall upon ye.

Wol. Madam, this is a mere distraction;

You turn the good we offer into envy.

Q.Kath. Ye turn me into nothing: Woe upon ye, And all such false professors! Would ye have me (If you have any justice, any pity;

If ye be any thing but churchmen's habits,)
Put my sick cause into his hands that hates me?
Alas! he has banish'd me his bed already;
His love, too long ago: I am old, my lords,
And all the fellowship I hold now with him
Is only my obedience. What can happen

To me, above this wretchedness? all your studies
Make me a curse like this.

Cam. Your fears are worse..

Q.Kath. Have I liv'd thus long-(let me speak myself, Since virtue finds no friends)- a wife, a true one? A woman (I dare say, without vain-glory,)

Never yet branded with suspicion ?

Have I with all my full affections

Still met the king? lov'd him next heaven? obey'd him?
Been, out of fondness, superstitious to him?6

Almost forgot my prayers to content him?
And am I thus rewarded? 'tis not well, lords.
Bring me a constant woman to her husband,
One that ne'er dream'd a joy beyond his pleasure;
And to that woman, when she hath done most,
Yet will I add an honour,-a great patience.

Wol. Madam, you wander from the good we aim at. Q.Kath. My lord, I dare not make myself so guilty, To give up willingly that noble title

[5] If I mistake you, it is by your fault, not mine; for I thought you good. The distress of Katharine might have kept her from the quibble to which she is irresistibly tempted by the word cardinal. JOHNS.

[6] That is, served him with superstitious attention; done more than was required. JOHNS.

Your master wed me to: nothing but death
Shall e'er divorce my dignities.

Wol. 'Pray, hear me.

QKath. 'Would, I had never trod this English earth, Or felt the flatteries that grow upon it!

Ye have angel's faces, but heaven knows your hearts. What will become of me now, wretched lady?

I am the most unhappy woman living.-
Alas! poor wenches, where are now your fortunes?
[To her Women.
Shipwreck'd upon a kingdom, where no pity,
No friends, no hope; no kindred weep for me,
Almost no grave allow'd me :-Like the lily,
That once was mistress of the field, and flourish'd,
I'll hang my head, and perish.

Wol. If your grace

Could but be brought to know, our ends are honest,
You'd feel more comfort: why should we, good lady,
Upon what cause, wrong you? alas! our places,
The way of our profession is against it;

We are to cure such sorrows, not to sow them.
For goodness' sake, consider what you do ;

How you may hurt yourself, ay, utterly

Grow from the king's acquaintance, by this carriage.
The hearts of princes kiss obedience,

So much they love it; but, to stubborn spirits,
They swell, and grow as terrible as storms.

I know, you have a gentle. noble temper,

A soul as even as a calm: Pray, think us

Those we profess, peace-makers, friends, and servants. Cam. Madam, you'll find it so. You wrong your virtues With these weak women's fears. A noble spirit,

As yours was put into you, ever casts

Such doubts, as false coin, from it. The king loves you; Beware, you lose it not: For us, if you please

To trust us in your business, we are ready

To use our utmost studies in your service.

Q.Kath. Do what ye will, my lords: And, pray, forgive me,

If I have us'd myself unmannerly ;7

You know, I am a woman, lacking wit

To make a seemly answer to such persons.

Pray, do my service to his majesty :

He has my heart yet; and shall have my prayers,

[7] That is, if I have behaved myself unmannerly.

M. MASON.

While I shall have my life. Come, reverend fathers, Bestow your counsels on me: she now begs,

That little thought, when she set footing here,

She should have bought her dignities so dear. [Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Ante-chamber to the King's Apartment. Enter the Duke of NORFOLK, the Duke of SUFFOLK, the Earl of SURREY, and the Lord Chamberlain.

Nor. If you will now unite in your complaints And force them with a constancy, the cardinal Cannot stand under them: if you omit

The offer of this time, I cannot promise,

But that you shall sustain more new disgraces,
With these you bear already.

Sur. I am joyful

To meet the least occasion, that may give me
Remembrance of my father-in-law, the duke,
To be reveng❜d on him.

Suf. Which of the peers

Have uncontemn'd gone by him, or at least
Strangely neglected?9 when did he regard
The stamp of nobleness in any person,
Out of himself?"

Cham. My lords, you speak your pleasures:
What he deserves of you and me, I know;
What we can do to him, (though now the time
Give way to us) I much fear. If you cannot
Bar his access to the king, never attempt
Any thing on him; for he hath a witchcraft
Over the king in his tongue.

Nor. O, fear him not;

His spell in that is out: the king hath found
Matter against him, that for ever mars
The honey of his language. No, he's settled,
Not to come off, in his displeasure.

Sur. Sir,

I should be glad to hear such news as this

Once every hour.

Nor. Believe it, this is true.

[8] Force is enforce, urge.

JOHNS.

[9] Which of the peers has not gone by him contemned or neglected?

JOHNS.

[1] When did he, however careful to carry his own dignity to the utmost

height, regard any dignity of another?

JOHNS.

In the divorce, his contrary proceedings
Are all unfolded; wherein he appears,

As I would wish mine enemy.

Sur. How came

His practices to light?

Suf. Most strangely.

Sur. O, how, how?

Suf. The cardinal's letter to the pope miscarried,
And came to the eye o'the king: wherein was read,
How that the cardinal did intreat his holiness
To stay the judgment o' the divorce; for if
It did take place, I do, quoth he, perceive,
My king is tangled in affection to

A creature of the queen's, lady Anne Bullen.
Sur. Has the king this?

Suf. Believe it.

Sur. Will this work?

Cham. The king in this perceives him, how he coasts, And hedges, his own way.3 But in this point

All his tricks founder, and he brings his physic
After his patient's death; the king already
Hath married the fair lady.

Sur. 'Would he had!

Suf. May you be happy in your wish, my lord! For, I profess, you have it.

Sur. Now all my joy

Trace the conjunction !4
Suf. My amen to't!

Nor. All men's.

Suf. There's order given for her coronation :
Marry, this is yet but young, and may be left
To some ears unrecounted.-But, my lords,
She is a gallant creature, and complete

In mind and feature: 1 persuade me, from her
Will fall some blessing to this land, which shall
In it be memoriz❜d.

Sur. But, will the king

Digest this letter of the cardinal's?

'The lord forbid !

Nor. Marry, Amen!

Suf. No, no;

There be more wasps that buz about his nose,

[2] Private practices opposite to his public proceedure. JOHNS.

[3] To hedge, is to creep along by the hedge: not to take the direct and open path, but to steal covertly through cicumvolutions. JOHNS. [4] To trace, is to follow. JOHNS.